Bookbinding means for pamphlets and signatures.



J. B. WEST.

BOOKBINDING MEANS FOR PAMPHLETS AND SIGNATURES. APPLICATION men APR. 15. 1914.

WNFFED @FATEF PATENT @FFlfilE.

JOHN B. WEST, OF BALBOA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T0 LILLIAIN' B. WEST, OF BALBOA, CALIFORNIA.

IBOOKIBINDING MEANS FOR PAMPI-ILETS AND SIGNATURES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1915.

Application filed April 15, 1914. Serial No. 832,043.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J GEN B. Wns'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Balboa, in the county of Orange, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bookbinding Means for Pamphlets and Signatures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a binding means for pamphlets and signatures.

It is the object of this invention to provide binding means by which signatures or pamphlets comprising a plurality of sheets secured together by staples, stitchmg or similar fastenings, can be each separately and detachably secured in the binder as a binding unit, and readily inserted and removed without removing other signatures or pamphlets contained in the binder; and this without the necessity of removing the staples or other fastening means by which the sheets of the pamphlets are held together or to separate the leaves or signatures comprising a pamphlet as is necessary in ordinary book binding.

Another object is to provide a binder which is adapted to receive signatures and pamphlets of various sizes as to dimensions of the sheets or transverse thickness of the pamphlets up to the size and capacity of the binder, the dimensions of which are arbitrary.

Another object is to provide a binder of the above character which has the appearanceand characteristics of a. book, particularly when arranged on shelves, and which is so constructed as to maintain this appearance whether the binder is empty or partially filled or filled.

A further object is to provide a binding in which the backing and the signatures and pamphlets therein may be detachably connected to a case or cover so that the latter may be renewed when damaged or worn without disturbing the pamphlets or signatures.

A. further object is to provide a binder which will serve equally well as a temporary holder for signatures and pamphlets or as a permanent binding for pamphlets or signatures in book manufacture, and still retain its desirable features, which permit of the case or cover being renewed and the pamphlets or signatures removed and replaced as occasion may require, independent of other pamphlets or signatures in the binder.

A further object is to provide a binding in which the volume can be built up by degrees by including other signatures or pamphlets (especially serials) from time to time as the numbers appear.

The invention primarily resides in a formative backing member preferably of a resilient character, means for detachably connecting pamphlets, signatures or the like, independent of each other, to said backing member, and means for detachably connecting said backing to a case or cover and embodies a binder in which each pamphlet or signature is attached to a common backing and not to the other pamphlets or signatures but each separately so as to be inde pendent of other pamphlets or signatures to be bound with it.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the binder showing it in a partly open position with a number of pamphlets of different sizes bound therein. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the backing as removed from the case and illustrating the means of attaching the pamphlets thereto. Fig. 8 is a view in elevation showing the case in its open or extended position and illustrating one manner of attaching the backing thereto. Figs. 4 and 5 are details illustrating two ways of attaching a pamphlet or signature to the backing member. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail section on the line 66 of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a detail illustrating a modified form of the detachable connection between the backing and case. Fig. 8 is an enlarged horizontal section on the line 88 of Fig. 7, showing the interlocking hinged connection of the backing and case. Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate a further modification of the hinge connection.

More specifically 10 indicates the backing member which may be formed of any suitable material, and which preferablyis capable of being flexed and having suflicient' rigidity to maintain its normal shape, which is substantially fiat and rectangular in outline. This backing member is here illustrated and will be hereinafter referred to as a plate, but it is obvious that it may be made of metal, fabric, leather or the like suitably reinforced, and with means for attaching it to a cover. This plate 10 forms a binder and support for the pamphlets 11,

which pamphlets consist of a plurality of leaves secured in book form in any suitable manner, as in the case of magazines, circulars, catalogues, or the signatures of books.

The manner in which the pamphlets 11 are bound is immaterial, but for the purpose of insuring a substantial connection between the pamphlets 11 and the plate 10 staples 12, or other fastenings, are passed through the pamphlets adjacent to their bound edges to form an anchorage for the pamphlet binding means. This binding means preferably consists of a thread of wire or other suitable material 13 or 13, which is passed between the leaves of the pamphlet at any convenient point so as to engage the staple or anchor 12, whereupon it is passed through the plate 10 and its ends secured on the rear face thereof, as particularly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Perforations 14: are formed in the plate 10 through which the wire or fastener 13 or 13' passes, these perforations being formed either at the time of attaching the pamphlet in place, or the plate may be provided in manufacture with a series of perforations suitably spaced apart to permit the fastenings 13 or 13 of different lengths being passed 'therethrough according to the differences; in spacing of the staples 12 and pamphlets 11.

If desired, the binding wires 13 may engage the staples 12 separately as shown in Fig. 5 or may merely engage the fold of a signature.

The plate 10 is designed to be removably attached to the book cover or case 15 and preferably hingedly connected at its vertical edges to the cover or leaf members 16 of I the book cover at their pivoted intersection 17 with the back member 18, but can be attached to slide onto a piece or pieces at tached to the ends of the cover. These connections between the backing plate 10 and I the book cover 15 are shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3

and 6 as comprising an ordinary hinge consisting of tubular members 19 formed on or attached to the vertical edges of the plate 10 and corresponding tubular members 20 carried on plates 21 mounted on the cover members 16 of the book casing and removable pivot pins 22 adapted to engage the tubular members 19 and 20, which are arranged in alinement with each other, as shown in Fig. 3 with the members 19 disposed adjacent the members 20. The plates -21 may be attached to the cover member 16 in any desired manner and are-positioned thereon with the tubular hinged members 20 arranged at the juncture of the cover members 16 with the back member 18. This construction affords an effective attachment between the backing plate 10 and the cover which will securely hold it in place and at the same time permit of its ready removal when it is desired to attach or detach the pamphlets 11.

In the form of the mounting, illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, the pivot pin 22 is dispensed with and interlocking curved flanges 23 and 24 are formed on the plates 10 and 21, respectively, which flanges are engaged with each other by sliding the plate 10 endwise between the plates 21, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 7, with the flanges 23 engaging the flanges 24. In this construction it is necessary to provide means for holding the plate 10 against downward longitudinal movement when in its mounted position in the cover. For this purpose the lower end of the receiving flange is indented as shown at 24 to form an abutment against which the engaging flanges on the plate 10 rest.

In the modified form of the hinge connection shown in Figs. 9 and 10, in which Fig. 9 illustrates the members in separated position, and Fig. 10 shows them as assembled, the plate 10 is formed with a spring lip 26 on its upper edge extending over the tubular hinge member 19 thereon and the tubular extension 20 on the plate 21 is formed with a downwardly extending portion 27 which is adapted to be received by the tubular portion 19 to form a pivotal connection therewith; the spring tongue 26 being pressed to one side when inserting the member 27 into the member 19 or removing it therefrom and springing back to extend over the upper end of the member 20 to lock the latter against displacement.

To attach a pamphlet or signature to the backing plate 10 the latter is disengaged from the cover 15 to give access to the rear face of the plate 10, whereupon the pamphlet previously provided with the staples 12, of any suitable number according to the size and character of the pamphlet, is then placed with its bound or folded edge abutting against the front face of the plate in any desired position thereon, whereupon the fastening wire 13 is passed between the leaves of the pamphlet, as before stated, so as to engage the staples 12 and is then passed through the plate and its ends secured in any desired manner, thus effectively binding the pamphlet in place in such manner that it may be readily removed by disconnecting the binding wire 13. The backing plate 10 is then re-secured to the book cover 15.

From the foregoing it will be seen that any number of pamphlets of various sizes may be separately attached to a single back plate 10 independent of each other and that they may be removed and replaced without affecting other pamphlets thereon. It will also be seen that by forming the back plate 10 of sufliciently rigid material, such as thin sheet metal or other materials as reinforced fabric or leather, etc., the back portion 18 of the book cover will be maintained in a distended position irrespective of the thickness or number of pamphlets contained between the cover members 16 so that when the book covers are arranged on shelves the numbers or sizes of the pamphlets contained therein will not be apparent, thus presenting a neat appearance. The back 18 of the book cover may be reinforced if desired.

By the use of this invention such magazines or pamphlets as are so manufactured as to prevent their being bound in volumes in the ordinary manner now commonly in use can be successfully bound and in the case where the pamphlets are issued in periods, they may be mounted in the binding as received and afterward removed individually and replaced as occasion may require. This device also obviates the necessity of trimming or cutting down the pamphlets to a uniform size in order to bind them, thus rendering it possible to arrange pamphlets of the same character (as catalogues) in a single binding irrespective of their formation or construction. This device is also advantageous for use in libraries and the like, where the book covers become badly worn and damaged in that it permits of such covers being readily renewed without the expense of rebinding, as is now generally the case, and also forms a convenient means of filing and binding magazines and other serials from time to time as the numbers appear, for each pamphlet is bound not to the other but to a common backing so that the book can be built up by degrees.

While I have described the pamphlet fastening means as comprising staples and fastening wires, it is manifest that they may consist of the usual stitching or fold of the pamphlets, or other suitable anchorage means, and fastenings engaging said stitching or fold to connect it with the backing plate.

What I claim is:

1. A binder, comprising a back member, hinged side members thereon, a semi-rigid plate, means for attaching a plurality of pamphlets to said plate independently of each other, and means for pivotally and demountably connecting the side members to the plate at their hinged connection with the back member.

2. A book binder, comprising a cover having a flexible back member and hinged side members thereon, plates secured to the side members with their inner edges extending along the hinged connections between the side members and the back member approximately the length thereof, a semi-rigid plate adapted to form a back for a series of pamphlets, and means for hingedly and detach ably connecting the edges of said semi-rigid plate to the inner edges of the plates on the cover side members, whereby said side members will have a pivoted connection with the edges of the semi-rigid pamphlet carrying plate.

3. A book binder, comprising a cover having a flexible back member and hinged side members thereon, plates secured to the side members with their inner edges extending along the hinged connections between the side members and the back member approximately the length thereof, a semi-rigid plate adapted to form a back for a series of pamphlets, and interlocking curved flanges on the contiguous edges of the plates for hingedly and detachably connecting the edgesof said semi-rigid plate to the inner edges of the plates on the cover side members, whereby said side members will have a pivoted connection with the edges of the semi-rigid pamphlet carrying plate.

4;. A binder, comprising a back member, hinged side members thereon, plates on the side members having their vertical edges alined with the hinged connections between the side members and the back member, curved flanges on the inner edges of said plates, 'a demountable pamphlet carrying plate, and curved flanges on said demountable plate adapted to be interlocked with the curved flanges on the before-mentioned plates, whereby a pivotal connection between the pamphlet carrying plate and the side members will be effected at the hinged connection between the side members and the back member.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 6th day of April, 1914:.

'JOHN B. WEST. Witnesses:

MARGUERITE BATES, MARIE BATTEY.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patenta,

Washington, D. 0. 

